Will Miami remain Fla most impressive city forever?

[Florida]

What's it matter? I wasn't even referring to land mass with that last comment, Einstein. And if city limits meant anything at all, we'd all be bowing down to Jacksonville right about now. Not so.

It matters because someone mentioned their city's available room for growth... last I checked, available land mass, and square mileage were good measures of that ability.

As far as your Jacksonville comments are concerned, whether you're talking population or land, its still bigger than the city of Miami. So what's your point?

[JRS1]

Even if you all were referring to land mass, Orange County alone has 900+ square miles, and a minority has been developed. Orlando proper will only grow incrimentally via annexation, whereas the metro will continue to grow unhindered by geography or state regulations. Its not a positive or a negative, it just is.

Tally might have larger city limits than Orlando... not sure.

Regarding Miami, no city will ever come close to matching Miami's rate of development, actual development, or its size. Its not a debatable issue.

Miami will only get surpassed in specific categories of development, like: number of hotel rooms; number of golf courses; number of large hotel resorts; size of convention space; number of tourists per year; number of conventions/delegates per year; size of principle airport; passenger counts at principle airport; etc...

I am referring to Orlando in those examples (except maybe with golf), but the point is that there are some industries that naturally would be bigger in, say, Orlando, than Miami. But Miami has their own laundry list of industries they blow Orlando out of the water with as well.

Besides, to me, any metro smaller than Jax is just not going to be able to support enough of anything worthwhile which would spark my interest to move or to visit there, unless its a beach community.

And Miami WILL be Florida's most impressive city, overall, forever, b/c of geography, demographics, development, transportation, industry, and culture.

[Florida]

if you say so...

[poonther]

Even if you all were referring to land mass, Orange County alone has 900+ square miles, and a minority has been developed. Orlando proper will only grow incrimentally via annexation, whereas the metro will continue to grow unhindered by geography or state regulations. Its not a positive or a negative, it just is.

Besides, to me, any metro smaller than Jax is just not going to be able to support enough of anything worthwhile which would spark my interest to move or to visit there, unless its a beach community.

And Miami WILL be Florida's most impressive city, overall, forever, b/c of geography, demographics, development, transportation, industry, and culture.

Uncontrolled sprawl of any city or metro is always a negative thing to me.

Not even VISIT a city in FL that is smaller than Jax and not on the beach? Man you are gonna miss a lot good stuff here in FL.

Your last statement JRS1 I absolutely 100% agree!

[Florida]

So is it safe to assume NYC will remain America's most "impressive" city forever?

[poonther]

^Well forever is a loooong time, but in our lifetime's I'd think it is safe to assume the answer will be Yes. Of course "impressive" is a very subjective term.

[Florida]

^Well forever is a loooong time, but in our lifetime's I'd think it is safe to assume the answer will be Yes. Of course "impressive" is a very subjective term.

My point exactly.

[JRS1]

So is it safe to assume NYC will remain America's most "impressive" city forever?

As neutral as I can be, ask yourself, which US city may be or become more impressive as NYC? I don't think one exists, unless pure population (=) more impressive (L.A.). Regarding urbanized area and tall bldgs., NYC has 3 or 4 times what Chicago has, and Chicago has at least 2-3 times what the next city on the list has. So, based on this info, sports teams, bridges, public trans., yeah, I'd put $$$ on NYC.

Same analogy for Miami to Florida-- based on these factors.

It's not an "if I say so" statement that's subjective, its an objective statement based on these facts.

But I do dig small towns--- but not to live there-- for me, of course. Visiting is always nice- for me.

[MrJoshua]

The metro-Miami area will always remain Florida's most sought-after locale. No other place in Florida (if not the US) offers the combination of tropical weather, beaches and the undefinable "vibe" that is South Florida. Allow me to list Floria city metro area populations:

Miami MSA: 5,288,796 (6th largest in US)

Tampa-St. Pete MSA: 2,531,980

Orlando MSA: 1,802,976

Jacksonville: 1,202,900

This being siad, South Florida is near "saturation" and can really only build by Western sprawl or intense redevelopment. The demand for living in Miami will probably well outpace economic development.

The only Florida city that is not built on tourism and its low paying service jobs in Jacksonville. That being said, metro JAX is still relatively poor.

If you ask me, we will all be dead for several hundred years before Orlando is thought of as a city in league with Miami, Florida's most "impressive city."

[Snowguy716]

To an outsider, I'd definitely say that Miami is the best known, and it has a good reputation for having a diverse culture and a great beach scene. It is also developing very fast. And if anything, Miami has CSI... Jacksonville doesn't

However, to be honest.. there is nothing that would draw me to live in Florida or really even visit. Sure, it has Disneyworld.. but I've been to Disneyland, and that was good enough, and Disneyworld is even more inflated and expensive.

I generally see Florida as a playground for the elderly, the rich.. and a place to live for a disproportionately high number of poor people working dead end $8/hour jobs. But I'm probably way wrong.

This is not meant to offend.. and I'm sure it will, but oh well.

[tombarnes]

One of the reasons I have not moved permanently to Florida is indeed the lower pay scale offered by most companies in Fort Lauderdale/Miami. While there are lots of good jobs, there's also the pervasive attitude that people will happily take less if they can live next to a palm tree. I still get down there about once a month or so. Whatever its faults, it's still a beautiful place to live.

[KendallKid]

So is it safe to assume NYC will remain America's most "impressive" city forever?

Me and my brother got into this exact arguement last week. I said i have no reason to move to NY because i can do eevrything i can do in NY in Miami except its cold there. World Class dining miami and Ny even. World Class entertainment EVEN sports EVEN Broadway NOT EVEN excpet who the hell goes to a show every weekend.

[Florida]

But couldn't one in Orlando argue they can do everything one can do in (Miami except the beach)?

[JRS1]

I love Miami, but its no Manhattan. There's no Times Square; no Central Park; and no 5th Avenue.

---------

Noone ever said anything about Orlando being mentioned in the same league as Miami. Miami may be Florida's premier city, but we need to keep things in perspective.

Look, Orlando might not have Shaq, the 'fins, or a baseball team looking to move b/c they can't get the city to pony up the $$$ to get them to stay, however, for its size, Orlando has things that can't just be swept under a rug b/c Miami folk have big egos:

-OIA - Florida's busiest airport; JetBlue's natl. pilot training facility & Fed Ex's main Fla. Dist. hub which left Ft. lauderdale Intl. for OIA 5 years ago; & Virgin Airlines' busiest US hub;

-Orange Co. CC- the 2nd largest convention ctr. in US, and 2nd busiest convention market to Vegas, actually;

-world class convention hotels way bigger than Miami's largest;

-2nd largest amount of hotel rooms (2nd to Vegas) in US and prob. the world;

-The #1 tourist destination in the WORLD. Vegas is 2nd.

-Golf Channel, and host to 2 PGA tounaments per year.

-the theme parks, which is obvious...

-Port Canaveral- 30 minutes from OIA and home to Disney Cruise Line and serviced heavily by OIA, is ranked as high as 2nd behind Miami as the world's 2nd busiest cruise port.

I guess if Orlando was in Miami's league, as our Lethal Weapon fan claimed that its not, then it wouldn't enjoy these prestigious lofty rankings and resources which are good indicators of a city's worth and reputation as being a world-leader destination city and nationally recognized and respected business meeting center.

Last I checked, Miami was ranked nowhere near Orlando in these categories and never will be, I might add, (save the cruise port), but I love Miami nonetheless. No, Orlando is not in Miami's league...

[Florida]

I don't understand those who say Orlando could never make it into the same league as Miami. They're putting Miami up on this impossible plateau as if it offers so much more than the rest of the world. My observations will say Miami's international diversity and latin flavor are very unique and attractive features for that city, but being latin doesn't make you superior.

JRS says Orlando isn't in Miami's league, so I ask what league is Miami in? If Miami is no NYC, Chicago, LA... what city do we compare it to? First to mind is Atlanta...

Is Miami better than Atlanta?

[KendallKid]

But couldn't one in Orlando argue they can do everything one can do in (Miami except the beach)?

No you cant go to the zoo in orlando. You cant go to World Class clubs and restraunts. And last time I checked You cant watch any pro sports teams outside of basketball. So no no you cant.

[KendallKid]

I love Miami, but its no Manhattan. There's no Times Square; no Central Park; and no 5th Avenue.

---------

Noone ever said anything about Orlando being mentioned in the same league as Miami. Miami may be Florida's premier city, but we need to keep things in perspective.

Look, Orlando might not have Shaq, the 'fins, or a baseball team looking to move b/c they can't get the city to pony up the $$$ to get them to stay, however, for its size, Orlando has things that can't just be swept under a rug b/c Miami folk have big egos:

-OIA - Florida's busiest airport; JetBlue's natl. pilot training facility & Fed Ex's main Fla. Dist. hub which left Ft. lauderdale Intl. for OIA 5 years ago; & Virgin Airlines' busiest US hub;

-Orange Co. CC- the 2nd largest convention ctr. in US, and 2nd busiest convention market to Vegas, actually;

-world class convention hotels way bigger than Miami's largest;

-2nd largest amount of hotel rooms (2nd to Vegas) in US and prob. the world;

-The #1 tourist destination in the WORLD. Vegas is 2nd.

-Golf Channel, and host to 2 PGA tounaments per year.

-the theme parks, which is obvious...

-Port Canaveral- 30 minutes from OIA and home to Disney Cruise Line and serviced heavily by OIA, is ranked as high as 2nd behind Miami as the world's 2nd busiest cruise port.

I guess if Orlando was in Miami's league, as our Lethal Weapon fan claimed that its not, then it wouldn't enjoy these prestigious lofty rankings and resources which are good indicators of a city's worth and reputation as being a world-leader destination city and nationally recognized and respected business meeting center.

Last I checked, Miami was ranked nowhere near Orlando in these categories and never will be, I might add, (save the cruise port), but I love Miami nonetheless. No, Orlando is not in Miami's league...

Miami is number 3 in this country for international tourist a year behind Ny and L.A. so its a matter of perpective.

[prahaboheme]

No you cant go to the zoo in orlando.

You are correct, you cannot go to a Miami zoo in Orlando, but Animal Kingdom is a zoo, and there is SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. The Sanford Zoo is just North of Orlando and there is the bird sanctuary at Lake Toho in Kissimmee.

[JRS1]

Look, I don't want to get into an infighting Miami-bashing thing here while the world watches us; its like punching myself in the arm.

But, I will say this, Sanford has the Central Florida Zoo, for the last 30 or so years, such as it is. And, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't Paris Hilton's first club opening in Florida on Church St.?

Speaking of internationals, Orlando is also home to 45-50,000 Brits. If Miami is No. 3 in international tourists, Orlando isn't far behind.

Noone is knocking Miami. We all know about Metrozoo and the Seaquarium. But just b/c you pay a ticket to go to Sea World and Animal Kingdom doesn't change the fact that they offer more than Miami's or most any other city's comparable zoo and aquarium.

If Orlando sux so much, why was Hilary Clinton and W in town this weekend? Not that they aren't visiting other cities.

Atlanta vs. Miami: Miami metro is larger, has more money, way more malls, has 3 ports, large airport cargo terminal, cruise ports, as wide-expressways; Metrorail, Tri-rail, Metromover, and a building boom that Atlanta will never see or be able to equal not on this Earth or in any other reality.

But Atlanta is a larger convention city with GWCC, has Hartsfield Intl., MARTA, Buckhead, hosted the Olympics, has Home Depot, lost a Ford plant this month, though; has Ga Tech and UGA nearby, and taller bldgs downtown (for now or untill EWT gets built)...

I've lived in Atlanta and I loved it. But even Orlando beats out Atlanta with the categories I listed before- except for Hartfield--funny, if you take away Delta's connecting flights, OIA is neck and neck with Atlanta for O&D flights, and Atlanta is 2.5 times the size of Orlando.

Miami beats out Atlanta because of the geography, the water, the growing skyline, and b/c of the Hialeah Wal-Mart(busiest in US) I would frequent from Miami Lakes whenever I would visit my ex-GF.

[JRS1]

Oh, I missed one: world class restaurants-- please... Does Miami have Emiril's? How about Morton's? Orlando, as of the late nineties, had the most restaurants per capita than any other city in the US. And there are many award winning eateries here. We've also got 2 Ruth's Chris and their headquarters; we're home to Darden restaurants and have the new Seasons 52 chain; a few Charley's Steakhouse's, a ritzier restaurants at the top of the Wyndham, BOA, in the Peabody, Grand Floridian, etc...

Miami's got the clubs, I don't disagree.

[JRS1]

Oh, the sports teams issue-- well, for a Palm Beach Gardens resident to watch the Heat, he has to travel 70 miles. So, an Orlando resident can travel the same distance to Tampa to watch the Lightning or Bucs play- and vice versa. I-4 is being widened between the two cities right now and I-4 is already like I-95 between Richmond and Arlington, VA.

[KendallKid]

Might i suggest that is going to be one of those posts where we all fight. Perhaps we shouldnt respond so much... just a thought.

I should have taken my own advice. My point was in miami u have city zoo's without benefit of Disney. And Emeril's is a chain not a trendy restaurant. Like say Joe's Stone Crab(which i personally hate but u get it) Additionally i never said Anything about being in the same leauge or anything. That was someone else. What I said was true. As far as Club Paris is conerned she does not own it, she sells her name to Franchisees who use it for thier clubs and while we r on that topic Paris often goes to Pawn Shop in Downtown Miami which does not bare her name. I just wrote what I wrote in response too what you said, And i knew this would escalate into a "im better than you are." Honeslty who cares, people from Orlando live there because they like it and have made that choice People in Miami live their for w/e reason they chose to, can we please drop it like i cautioned on Feb 9, 2006 and 11:22 PM and if not I will.

[JRS1]

I should have taken my own advice. My point was in miami u have city zoo's without benefit of Disney. And Emeril's is a chain not a trendy restaurant. Like say Joe's Stone Crab(which i personally hate but u get it) Additionally i never said Anything about being in the same leauge or anything. That was someone else. What I said was true. As far as Club Paris is conerned she does not own it, she sells her name to Franchisees who use it for thier clubs and while we r on that topic Paris often goes to Pawn Shop in Downtown Miami which does not bare her name. I just wrote what I wrote in response too what you said, And i knew this would escalate into a "im better than you are." Honeslty who cares, people from Orlando live there because they like it and have made that choice People in Miami live their for w/e reason they chose to, can we please drop it like i cautioned on Feb 9, 2006 and 11:22 PM and if not I will.

???

Well, if you look at MY previous posts, I was the one making the case for, and not against Miami-- which is what this thread is about. But to make the case for Miami, there's no harm in bringing to light its strong points and weaknesses when compared to other Fla. cities, since the topic is "most impressive Fla. city."

We need to flush some things out now:

You need to take a chill pill, b/c your Feb 9 post was in response to nothing more than people trying to establish the parameters of "impressive", and if that offended you enough to write your "escalate" warning, at that point, then you are way too sensitive to partake in discussions for fear of reading something you might not like. Its called a discussion, and reading facts that don't necessarily cater to your liking is a fact of life.

You need to go to an Emiril's or talk to someone whose been to one. Since that's not good enough of an example, which goes against logic, add Flemings, Houston's, Brio, Antonio's, and McCormick & Schmick to the list, along with a couple of Cheesecake Factories, Wolfgang Puck, and the touristy Rainforest Cafe (2) which Miami also has, along with Blue Martini, Hue, Sam Snead's, U-Club, Citrus Club, and a host of urban cafe's (Dexter's, etc.) popping up in Thornton Park, Winter Park, and College Park.

What Paris Hilton's patronage of a Miami pawnshop has to do with her opening a club in Orlando is beyond me. Its no secret Paris Hilton is a serious Miami Beach party girl.

And here's my final comment on this whole "my thing/your thing" BS; Just b/c Miami is the most urbanized and developed metro in Fla. does not mean that there is nothing of equal value elsewhere in the state.

For example, in Orlando:

We've got Bloomingdales, Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman's, Macy's (before the buyout), still have Lord & Taylor; Ritz Carlton, JW, Wyndham, etc... just like Miami. We've also got Gaylord Palms & CC. We've got ritzy neighborhoods like Alaqua, Isleworth, and Lake Nona, and new modern PUDs like Avalon Park, Celebration, Baldwin Park, ChampionsGate, Reunion Resort, Independence, Stoneybrook West, etc...; We've got suburban office parks and industrial parks and 3 major universities in the metro with 2 law schools; we're a major distribution center for the state for Lowe's and Walgreens, etc... we've got major urban renewal and condo construction in places other than downtown and the attractions area, which is a tougher sell than a condo on any beach; we've got road widening going on continuously, and new major urban infill proposals which are steadily coming to fruition... there's alot going on here aside from Disney.

And like I said earlier, Orlando, for its size, has a lot to offer compared to larger cities. nothing more, nothing less.

Do I think its Florida's most impressive city? No. B/c to me, bigger is better.

peace.

[cameronm]

???

Well, if you look at MY previous posts, I was the one making the case for, and not against Miami-- which is what this thread is about. But to make the case for Miami, there's no harm in bringing to light its strong points and weaknesses when compared to other Fla. cities, since the topic is "most impressive Fla. city."

We need to flush some things out now:

You need to take a chill pill, b/c your Feb 9 post was in response to nothing more than people trying to establish the parameters of "impressive", and if that offended you enough to write your "escalate" warning, at that point, then you are way too sensitive to partake in discussions for fear of reading something you might not like. Its called a discussion, and reading facts that don't necessarily cater to your liking is a fact of life.

You need to go to an Emiril's or talk to someone whose been to one. Since that's not good enough of an example, which goes against logic, add Flemings, Houston's, Brio, Antonio's, and McCormick & Schmick to the list, along with a couple of Cheesecake Factories, Wolfgang Puck, and the touristy Rainforest Cafe (2) which Miami also has, along with Blue Martini, Hue, Sam Snead's, U-Club, Citrus Club, and a host of urban cafe's (Dexter's, etc.) popping up in Thornton Park, Winter Park, and College Park.

What Paris Hilton's patronage of a Miami pawnshop has to do with her opening a club in Orlando is beyond me. Its no secret Paris Hilton is a serious Miami Beach party girl.

And here's my final comment on this whole "my thing/your thing" BS; Just b/c Miami is the most urbanized and developed metro in Fla. does not mean that there is nothing of equal value elsewhere in the state.

For example, in Orlando:

We've got Bloomingdales, Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman's, Macy's (before the buyout), still have Lord & Taylor; Ritz Carlton, JW, Wyndham, etc... just like Miami. We've also got Gaylord Palms & CC. We've got ritzy neighborhoods like Alaqua, Isleworth, and Lake Nona, and new modern PUDs like Avalon Park, Celebration, Baldwin Park, ChampionsGate, Reunion Resort, Independence, Stoneybrook West, etc...; We've got suburban office parks and industrial parks and 3 major universities in the metro with 2 law schools; we're a major distribution center for the state for Lowe's and Walgreens, etc... we've got major urban renewal and condo construction in places other than downtown and the attractions area, which is a tougher sell than a condo on any beach; we've got road widening going on continuously, and new major urban infill proposals which are steadily coming to fruition... there's alot going on here aside from Disney.

And like I said earlier, Orlando, for its size, has a lot to offer compared to larger cities. nothing more, nothing less.

Do I think its Florida's most impressive city? No. B/c to me, bigger is better.

peace.

Great post

[orlandonative]

???

Well, if you look at MY previous posts, I was the one making the case for, and not against Miami-- which is what this thread is about. But to make the case for Miami, there's no harm in bringing to light its strong points and weaknesses when compared to other Fla. cities, since the topic is "most impressive Fla. city."

We need to flush some things out now:

You need to take a chill pill, b/c your Feb 9 post was in response to nothing more than people trying to establish the parameters of "impressive", and if that offended you enough to write your "escalate" warning, at that point, then you are way too sensitive to partake in discussions for fear of reading something you might not like. Its called a discussion, and reading facts that don't necessarily cater to your liking is a fact of life.

You need to go to an Emiril's or talk to someone whose been to one. Since that's not good enough of an example, which goes against logic, add Flemings, Houston's, Brio, Antonio's, and McCormick & Schmick to the list, along with a couple of Cheesecake Factories, Wolfgang Puck, and the touristy Rainforest Cafe (2) which Miami also has, along with Blue Martini, Hue, Sam Snead's, U-Club, Citrus Club, and a host of urban cafe's (Dexter's, etc.) popping up in Thornton Park, Winter Park, and College Park.

What Paris Hilton's patronage of a Miami pawnshop has to do with her opening a club in Orlando is beyond me. Its no secret Paris Hilton is a serious Miami Beach party girl.

And here's my final comment on this whole "my thing/your thing" BS; Just b/c Miami is the most urbanized and developed metro in Fla. does not mean that there is nothing of equal value elsewhere in the state.

For example, in Orlando:

We've got Bloomingdales, Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman's, Macy's (before the buyout), still have Lord & Taylor; Ritz Carlton, JW, Wyndham, etc... just like Miami. We've also got Gaylord Palms & CC. We've got ritzy neighborhoods like Alaqua, Isleworth, and Lake Nona, and new modern PUDs like Avalon Park, Celebration, Baldwin Park, ChampionsGate, Reunion Resort, Independence, Stoneybrook West, etc...; We've got suburban office parks and industrial parks and 3 major universities in the metro with 2 law schools; we're a major distribution center for the state for Lowe's and Walgreens, etc... we've got major urban renewal and condo construction in places other than downtown and the attractions area, which is a tougher sell than a condo on any beach; we've got road widening going on continuously, and new major urban infill proposals which are steadily coming to fruition... there's alot going on here aside from Disney.

And like I said earlier, Orlando, for its size, has a lot to offer compared to larger cities. nothing more, nothing less.

Do I think its Florida's most impressive city? No. B/c to me, bigger is better.

peace.

Done and done.